All safe as 200 are rescued from glacial flood disaster
Swift action by locals and rescuers saves everyone after a dangerous glacial flood outbreak.
Gilgit-Baltistan – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk)
A sudden glacier burst in Pakistan’s northern mountains triggered a major flood, blocking a key river. Thanks to swift rescue efforts, over 200 people were safely evacuated from the dangerous path of the rising water.
Rescue teams worked through the night after a glacial lake outburst flooded the Ghizer River in Gilgit-Baltistan. The event, known as a GLOF, sent a powerful surge of water downstream, completely blocking the river for several hours and threatening villages in its path.
Local volunteers and shepherds were the first to raise the alarm, using mobile phones to warn residents to evacuate immediately. Pakistan Army helicopters later joined the operation to rescue those who became stranded.
Officials have confirmed that no lives were lost in the incident. However, the floodwaters destroyed approximately 70 houses and washed away large parts of two villages, leaving many residents traumatised and in need of medical aid and shelter.
Pakistan is home to thousands of glaciers, which are increasingly melting and bursting due to rising global temperatures. This is the latest in a series of similar climate-change-induced events to hit the vulnerable mountain region.
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